Elevating-truck.



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UNITED STATES PATENT EETCE.

HARRY TAYLOR LITER, OF BLUE SPRINGS, MISSOURI.

ELEvATlNc-TRUCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 682,095, dated September 3, 1901.

Application filed February 6.1901. Serial No. 46,232. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom t may concern.-

Be it known that I, HARRY TAYLOR LITER, acitizen of the United States, residing at Blue Springs, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful Elevating-Truck, of which lthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to elevating-trucks; and the object of the same is to provide a simple, effective, and convenient means for manipulating heavy and cumbersome baggage, to facilitate unloading the same from and loading it into cars or the like, unloading or loading grain, transferring heavy larticles, such as machinery, from one point to another, and for other general purposes wherever found desirable to use the device.

The invention consists in the construction and arrangement of the several parts, which will be more fully hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a truck embodying the features of the invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section through a portion of the side of the frame at the front. Fig. 3 is a similar view through a portion of the one side of the frame at the rear. Fig. 4 is a detail elevation showing a friction-brake attachment. Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation of one of the winding pulleys or drums and a portion of the shaft therefor. Fig. 6 is a detail perspective View of one of the sheaves or pulleys for engagement with the elevating-cable with a guard thereon.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to indicate corresponding parts in the several views.

The numeral 1 designates a frame which in the present instance is preferably made up of opposite pairs 2 of tubular lengths, such as iron or other metal pipe, and provided with upturned or vertically-disposed ends 3 and intermediate longitudinallyconcaved portions4. These lengths form the opposite Side portions of the frame, and each pair of the same are spaced apart and disposed parallel, the longitudinal concaved portion 4 of the inner length of each pair being connected at the center by a transverse tubular tie-rod 5 and the front and rear ends of the same by smaller tie-rods 6. The said sides of the frame, and, in fact, the entire frame, rest upon and are suitably secured to front and rear holsters 7 and 8, the front bolster having an axle 9 secured thereto by any preferred form of fifth-wheel attachment and the rear bolster having the rear axle 10 attached thereto, the latter axle being, preferably, a drop-axle and both axles supplied with truck-wheels 11. The front axle is also provided with a tongue 12 for drawing and guiding the same, and other well-known attachments for runninggear of this character as may be found necessary will be used.

Between the upper terminals of the vertical ends of the sides of the frame and at the angles between said ends and theportions 4 sheaves or pulleys 13 are located and have axes 14, which serve to tie the two members of each frame side, and in line with the transverse tie-rod 5 other similar sheaves or pulleysfare located, with their axes performing a similar function relatively to the two members of the sides. These sheaves or pulleys will in many instances be provided with guards 15, as shown by Fig. 6, to hold the engaging device therefor in proper relation thereto.

Across the front of the vertical ends of the frame at the front a winding-shaft 16 is mounted in suitable bearings at an intermediate point, and between the pairs of said ends at each side a double winding pulley or drum 17 is securely keyed to said shaft to rotate with the latter and is of the form clearly shown by Fig. 5, wherein it will be observed that two circumferential grooves 18 are formed therein andconnected by a diagonal opening 19 through the pulley or drum. Iny the frame a vertically-adjustable bed 2O is mounted and has a longitudinal concaved form, the said frame comprising opposite pairs of side bars 21, spaced apart from each other in parallel relation and connected at the ends by cross-strips 22, and both pairs of bars rmly united by top cross-slats 23, the inner side bar 2l being longer than the outer bars and loosely bearing at their terminals against the inner portions of the front and rear ends of the inner lengths of the sides of the frame to prevent the bed from swaying laterally.

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A rope or small cable 24 is located at each side of the truck, and both ropes or cables are threaded through the openings 19 of. the winding pulleys or drums 17, so as to be caused to Wind in opposite directions in the two grooves 18 in each instance, the ropes or cables passing down over and under the lower sheaves or pulleys 13 from the pulleys or drums 17 and also above the latter over the outer portions of the sheaves or pulleys 18 in the upper parts of the ends of the frame sides, and then down and attached to eyes 25, secured to the cross-strips 22, connecting the side bars 21 of the bed, as clearly shown by Figs. 2 and 3. The opposite ends of the shaft 16 are squared or otherwise formed to removably receive operating crank-handles for raising the bed, and it will be seen that the latter will be uniformly elevated at opposite ends in view of the arrangement of the ropes or cables, and, moreover, the doubled grooved pulleys or drums 17 will prevent the cables from becoming entangled and always insure a proper position of the same. To hold the bed at the elevation desired, a ratchet-and-pawl mechanism 26 is used in connection with the shaft 16, and to check the too-sudden fall and jar of the bed,particularly when loaded,a suitable friction-brake 27, as clearly shown by Fig. ,will be used and operates in conjunction with a disk 28 on the said shaft in an obvious manner. By concaving or depressing the bed and frame, the latter to compensate for the contour of the former, a load can be more easily disposed in a stable condition, and in the operation of the device the load is disposed on the bed, and if the latter is located below the plane of the frame or on a iioor or other surface the bed is fully let down. Then if the load is to be discharged at a higher elevation the bed is elevated as well as the load thereon for conveniently reaching the plane of the surface or device into or on which the load is to be deposited. If the load is received from an elevation, it will be understood that the bed will be raised accordingly, and thus a comparatively simple means is provided for accommodating loading and unloading of heavy or cumbersome articles and devices of a general character, but particularly useful in handling baggage or bulky packages with ease. The improved truck being in the form of a wagon can also be conveniently used on. A

farms for conveying grain, hay, and the like from one point to another and the bed elevated to facilitate storage of the load in a loft or other place of deposit.

The frame is made of tubular lengths in the manner set forth to lighten and strengthen the entire structure, and instead of the slatted bed, as set forth, any other bed embodying the same principle can be employed. The

. sheaves or pulleys 13 may also be changed in position to accommodate variations in the proportions, and the braces or tie-rods 6 can be removed, if desired, so as not to interfere with the use of the truck in conveying ceresaoes tain materials or loads, such as lengths of lumber and the like, or devices having regular or irregular projections that would forcibly bear against the said tie-rods. Other obvious changes will be made to adapt the improved wagon-truck to various uses without departing from the spirit ot" the invention. At times only one crank-handle will be necessary for rotating the winding-shaft and at other times two of said handles will be employed to expedite the elevation of the bed, particularly when the latter is heavily loaded.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is- 1. In an elevating wagon-truck, the combination of a frame having running-gear in connection therewith, a winding-shaft across the front of the frame and having winding pulleys or drums near opposite ends thereof, an elevatable bed mounted in the frame, and op'- posite ropes or cables connected to the front and rear ends of the bed and passed through the said winding pulleys or drums, the ropes or cables being guided above and `below the bed through parts of the frame.

2. In an elevating wagon-truck, the combi nation of a frame having running-gear in connection therewith and comprising opposite sides composed of tubular lengths arranged in parallel spaced pairsand bent upwardly at the ends, means for transversely connecting the said sides, pulleys or sheaves arranged at intervals in relation to the lengths, a Winding-shaft across the front of the frame and having opposite winding pulleys or drums thereon, an elevatable bed mounted in the frame, and opposite ropes or cables connect ed to the front and rear ends of the bed and engaging the winding pulleys or drums and the pulleys or sheaves arranged in relation to the frame.

3. In an elevating wagon-truck, the combination of a frame having running-gear in connection therewith, an elevatable bed mounted in the frame, opposite side ropes or cables respectively connected at their terminals to the front and rear ends of the bed, and a single transversely-extending winding-shaft on the front of the frame engaged adjacent to its extremities by the said ropes or cables to simultaneously elevate or lower both ends of the bed equally.

4. 1n an elevating wagon-truck, the combination of a frame having running-gear in connection therewith,- an elevatable bed mount ed in the frame, opposite side ropes or cables respectively connected at their terminals to the front and rear ends of the bed, a single transversely-extending winding-shaft on the IOO IIO

front of the frame, and winding pulleys or drums secured on the shaft adjacent to the extremities of the latter and each having two circumferential grooves and a diagonal opening therethrough, the ropes or cables being passed through the openings of the pulleys or drums.

'5. In an elevating wagon-truck, the combi nation of a frame having running-gear in connection therewith, the said frame comprising opposite sides composed of tubular lengths arranged parallel and spaced apart from each other and provided with upwardly-directed ends, transversely-extending means for oonnecting the sides of the frame, sheaves or pulleys arranged between the upper and lower portions of the lengths composing the sides of the frame, an elevatable bed mounted in the frame, opposite side ropes or cables respectively connected at their terminals to the front and rear ends of the bed and engaging the said upper and lower sheaves or pulleys,

and a single shaft extending transversely across the front of the frame and having winding-drums near the opposite ends between the upwardly-directed ends of the tubular lengths of the sides of the frames to engage the said ropes or cables.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

HARRY TAYLOR LITER.

lVViimesses:

IRvIN THoMAsoN, J. H. MOORE. 

